I took this pic right before dawn at a great house called, "Above Sleepy Hollow" in the mountains of West Virginia. Rich Potter, Michael Jayne, and I rented it a few years between Christmas and New Year's for a writing/creativity retreat. I got so much writing done each time. I want to do it again, but it's in WV, and I'm in NYC.

By Izolda Trakhtenberg, President, Sisters in Crime NY Tri-State Chapter Let’s demystify the marketing mystery, shall we? First Up: What’s a Nurture Sequence? A nurture sequence is a short series of emails you send to people who’ve just joined your mailing list. These are readers who are curious about your work and are wondering, “Is this for me?” Your job?

And How to Start Yours Without Stress, Hype, or Overwhelm Let’s talk about something that can help your writing career without draining your energy or turning you into someone you’re not. This last is crucial for all writers and storytellers. If you’re writing mysteries, thrillers, or crime fiction of any kind, a mailing list is one of the most powerful tools you can have.

“And So It Goes,” the Billy Joel documentary on HBO Max is profound, inspiring, illuminating, and moving.* Years ago, I took a songwriting class. The instructor asked us to name enduring songwriters. I named Billy Joel. “He’s not a songwriter for the ages,“ she said. “Really?” I said. “Have you ever been to one of his concerts?“ “No,“ she replied.

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Can One Word, One Minute, and One Idea Spark a Movie? Yep. How easily can you adapt a work into another medium. A few years ago, I wrote a story a day for a year. I wrote each story from a prompt word. The trick? I only had a single minute in which to write the tale. This creativity project revolutionized my writing and my life.